The Reformulation of Social Policy in Chile, 1973—2001

This article subjects the much-heralded Chilean `model' of social policy reform to a critical analysis. It places the Chilean reforms within the political—economic conjuncture from which they emerged and relates the trends towards privatization and decentralization to the larger neoliberal movement towards societal restructuring. Through an examination of pension, education and health reforms, the article argues that the Chilean reformulation of social policy has serious failings in terms of both pervasive structural weaknesses and a profound polarization of service provision. These factors pose important questions regarding the propagation of similar neoliberal social policy models in the Global South.